Calculating machine



Sept. 12, 1939. E, H EH'ER 2,172,748

CALCULATING MACHINE Filed June 4, 1956 2 Sheets-$heet 1 WWWI/I/l/Wm-WWM INVENTOR. E LMER H.DREHER BY a HIS A TORNEY Sept. 12, 1939. E. H. DREHER CALCULATING MACHINE Filed June 4, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 34.7 62999 34.76 O 34.7 63000 34.7 6 5 34.7 6 6 999 34.7 65 34.7 67 00 O 34.7 7 O INVENTOR. ELMER H. DREHER BY 4% S ATTORNEY I Patented 12, 1939 PATENT OFFICE CALC'UIAATING MACHINE Elmer H. Dreher, Roclrville Centre, N. Y., assignor to Remington Rand Inc., Buii'alo, N. Y., acorporation of Delaware Application June 4, 1936, Serial No. aa,4s1

lclalm.

This invention relates toan integrating mech-' anism and more particularly to an integrating mechanism for calculating machines of .the character disclosed in the patent to A. Baumann et al. No. 1,886,148.

In the calculating machine referred to above the partial products resulting from the multiplication of two numbers are segregated in a series of receivers. These receivers. are arranged in banks and in orders corresponding to the orders of the final product. The settings of the receivers are condensed in a series of heads on which the result appears, and from which it can be taken by any suitable means for operating a designating or printing mechanism. The excess setting of a receiver bank is transferred to the bank of the next higher order by a suitable carry mechanism.

A head or product cup of the character disclosed in the above patent comprises a cup-shaped element having a series of steps extending helically around the lip thereof, and cooperating with each receiver is an index which is shiftable to be positioned by these steps. This index is adapted to control a total accumulator and printing mechanism. Just prior to awumulating or printing it is often desirable to round oi! the numbers of the final product to a predetermined number of places to the right of a decimal.

One of the objects of this invention, therefore, is to provide integrating mechanism of the character described, in which the index is so arranged and mounted and controlled with reference to the receiver as. to permit therounding oil of a predetermined number of digits to the right of a decimal point.

In a machine of the character described, in which the excess setting is-transferred from a lower to a higher order, the usual practice is to avoid a multiplicity of figures and at the same time permit the result to be closely secured by rounding out the product to the desired number of places. An example of this rounding out would be in connection with money, where any .thing over a half cent would be considered as one and anything under would be dropped. Thus, heretofore if it was desired to round out to two places to the right of the decimal point and ii the last or third .digit was, for instance, 4, while the preceding or second digit was I, it was considered sufilciently accurate to have only the digit 8 appear, while the following digit 4 was disregarded; if, however, the last digit was 6, then it was desirable that the preceding digit appear as one higher, namely, 9. In general, it was considered the embodiment of this invention;

sumcient, if the last digit was above 5, that the next higher digitshould be increased by one.

The above method of rounding oiI is fully disclosed and described, in the patent to Baumann et al. No. 1,928,874.

In the present device, it is proposed that the number rounded ofl become either zero, five or be carried into the next higher-order as one. It is often desirable in dealing with money to round on to the nearest half cent and, when this' is '10 done, any number in the third place to the right of the decimal, from zero to two is registered as zero, any number from three to six is registered in the third place as five, and, if the number is from seven to nine, the next higher digit is increased by one.

A further object of the invention is to provide a receiver cup and associated means, whereby the setting in an order of digits will position said cup. to cause a zero to be printed, if the value 20 of the order is from zero to, but not including, three.

A still further object is to provide a receiver cup whereby the setting in an order of digits will position said cup to cause a five to be printed, ii 25 the value of the order is from three to, but not including, seven.

Another object, therefore, is to provide for transferring the excess setting froma lower to a higher order, in such a manner that such trans- -80 fer will take place when the designation or value of the lower order digit reaches 1 and to cause the printing of a zero in the particular order. 7

A more clear conception of the construction,

operation and further obiects of the invention as will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Hg. 1 is a perspective view, showing a pair of cooperating receivers with their cooperating in- 40 dex;

Fig. 2 is a view, showing the receivers and index assembled;

Fig. 3 is a view of a product cup, illustrating Fig. 4 is a perspective view, illustrating receiv-' ers. a product cup and carrying mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a section through one of the receiver shafts;

Fig. 6 is a partial plan view, showing a series of receiver shafts and product cups and their associated mechanism;

Fig. 7 is an end view, and Fig. 8 is a perspective view, illustrating mechanism for transferring the excess setting from a lower order to a higher order as employed in all receiver banks except that in which rounding off occurs.

Figs. 9 and 10 are views similar to Figs. '1 and 8, as applied to receiver banks in which the rounding off occurs.

Fig. 11 is a table, showing the results obtained, and

Fig. 12 is a view of the invention developed to show the relation to a normal product cup.

Referring to the accompanying drawings and more particularly, first, to Figs. 4, 5 and 6 (in which the reference characters are as employed in the Patent No. 1,886,148, referred to), 9| designates a shaft of which. there is a series arranged in parallel relation as shown in Fig. 6, the shafts being mounted in brackets 92 on the base I. Mounted on the shaft is a series of receivers 93, each receiver having steps 94 as shown in Figshl and 2. These receivers are shown in telescoping relation, while slidable therealong are indices 95 guided in slots 96 and cooperating with the receiver steps 94. Each index is in the form of a lug 95 formed on a sleeve 91 having a collar 98 arranged for coupling with suitable mechanism, whereby the index sleeve may be set to various positions along the receiver. The conpling is such that the index sleeve may freely I the remaining banks, these, as shown at 930 rotate. The end receivers (at the left, Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5) are suitably connected to the heads I08 secured to the left-hand brackets 92, so as to be, in effect, held stationary. The end receivers at the other end of each bank are connected as follows: In the first bank from the right (not shown) the receiver is directly connected to a shaft 9|. In the case of the end receivers in (Fig. 4) are provided with steps 940 arranged'to be engaged each by a shiftable lug or index H8, while each receiver 930 also has a lug 269 arranged to engage a bracket H9. Each end re ceiver 930 is connected with its shaft 9| by means of a collar 94I. Each intermediate receiver 93, furthermore, has a lug 934 (Fig. 1) at the end of its slot 96 for cooperating with the back face of the end 935 on its associated cooperating receiver to determine the set-back or normal position. Each shaft 9| has a camhead II2 (Figs. 1, 7 and 8) provided with a cam H3 arranged to engage teeth on a rack H4- to which is connected the stop II 8 cooperating with the steps on the receiver 930 of the next higher order. The purpose of this mechanism is to transfer the excess or carry setting from a lower bank to the next higher order bank. The end of the shaft 9| is connected to a product cup or result head H0 having a series of steps III corresponding to the digits from zero to nine arranged for engagement by fingers I29 connected with suitable designating or printing mechanism disclosed and described in the Patent No. 1,886,148. Each shaft has a bevelgear 232 meshing with a bevel gear 23I carried on a shaft 230. The gears 23| are loosely mounted on the shaft 230 and are connected thereto by a sleeve 233 splined to the shaft and connected with the gear hub by.

a screw thread. The gear has a lug 234 arranged to be engaged by a lug 291 on the sleeve 233. When the shaft 230 and the splined sleeve are turned one complete revolution counterclockwise (Fig. 4), the lugs are then out of mesh, due to the movement of the sleeve caused. by the pitch of the screw thread on both the hub and sleeve. Thereafter the shaft is free to travel in a counter-clockwise direction without turning the gear 23!. When, however, the lugs are brought into mesh by a clockwise movement of the shaft the gear 23I will be rotated.

The mechanism so far described (except as will appear) is fully shown and described in the Patents 1,886,148 and 1,928,874 referred to. As the partial products are segregated, the indices 95 are shifted in accordance with the settings. After the various indices are thus set and the shaft 230 rotated in a counter-clockwise direc tion (Fig. 4) the shafts 9| will then be free to be yieldingly rotated by their springs I00, thereby accumulating the receiver settings each in its own bank. Furthermore, the excess setting from a bank of a lower order will be transferred to the bank of the next higher order. Accordingly, the final'product or result will appear at the heads I I9.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the receiver 93 is provided with the slot 96 as heretofore described. It will, of course, be seen that as the index 95 travels along the slot, it will be held against rotative movement, and, therefore, the steps on the cooperating receiver only come into play, so that the total relative movement of the telescoping receivers transmitted to the product cups III] will be that due .to the sum of their steps 94.

When the fingers I2Il are released and come to rest on the particular steps I I I which lie in their path the product will be set up in the printing and totalizing mechanism.

If the work being done, however, is in declmals, it is desirable to round off the digits at some point to the right of the decimal point. In a machine prepared for working problems of this character, the usual receiver cup H0 is replaced by a cup 50, shown in detail in Fig. 3. In Fig. 12 the cup is shown developed and it willbe noted that in place of the normal graduated steps III, this cup is provided with a cutaway portion 53 extending from the third to the seventh position, and corresponding in depth to the fifth step on a normal receiver. This cutaway portion forms a step which will cause the finger I29 to position the printing and totalizing mechanisms at five, if the digit of the product set in that particular cup is between three and six. All other digits will cause the finger to position'the printing and totalizing mechanisms at zero.

The cam disc H2 associated with the cup is positioned on the shaft 9| with relation to the cup, so that any movement of the cup, beyond the seven position, will cause the cam H3 to shiftthe plate H4, thereby transferring a one into the next higher order receiver.

A slot 5| is provided in each of the product cups III! and 50 which is adapted to cooperate with lugs .54 formed on a plate which is controlled by the total key. When a total is to be has no nine step, as it only registers either zero or five. Therefore, a slot 52 is provided between the nine and zero position to permit free movement of the finger I20 during the taking of a total.

Referring now to Figs. '7 and 8, which show the transfer mechanism for the normal banks of some predetermined point to the right of a decimal point the members be rounded 03. In

the particular instance disclosed the setting of the fourth bank is rounded off by transferring one from this bank to the fifth bank from the right when the product cup of the fourth bankreaches the normal seven position. In such a case, and as shown in Fig. 10 (in detail), the

fourth shaft ll is providedwith a cam disc 2,

and associated carry mechanism cooperating with the receiver 9" of the next higher order. This cam is so positioned on shaft M with reference to the head 50 that, when this head reaches the normal seven" position, a one will be transferred to the fifth bank. 'lhe same arrangement may be applied to any bank, so that, when the setting of the head reaches the seven position, a carry of "one" will be transferred to the next higher order bank. It will be understood that, when the rounding of! cup is applied to a bank, the total sectors(not shown) associated with the fingers I20 of the orders to the right of that bank are disabled by any suitable latch means (not shown) under control of the operator. This is because the figures in such a bank or banks need .not be printed, where, for instance, they are of a lower order than the first digit to be rounded off.

In Fig. 11 is shown a series of products which have been carried to the sixth place beyond the decimal point. The first number 34.762999 will be contained in the receiver cups with the digit "two" in the rounding of! cup '0 which in the i1 lustrated form is the fourth from the right. when the fingers III are released the fourth finger will contact the "zero" position on the cup 50. Since the total sectors associated with the remaining three fingers to the right are held disabled by any suitable latch or stop mechanism under control of the operator, these numbers chine.

This will cause the printing mechanism to print 34.760 and the same number is registered in the total accumulator wheels. In the other three numbers of Fig. 11- any digit from three to six causes the printing and accumulating of a "five" and all numbers above six" cause the cam di'sc H2 to transfer a one to the next higher order.

It will be understood, of course, that thisrounding oil? may be carried on in any of the banks by replacing the normal cup H0 by the special product cup 50.

While the invention is particularly applicable to the general type of machines specifically shown and described in the application referred to, it will be understood that as to some of its features, the invention is applicable in many cases to other forms and types of machines. It will, furthermore, be understood that certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations, that are contemplated by and are within the scope of the appended claim. It will, furthermore, be understood that various changes may be made in details, within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of this invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and/or described.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In a calculating machine, a pair of parallel shafts, a register on each of said shafts, a recording mechanism adapted to be set by said registers, one of said registers having steps on the periphery thereof adapted to limit adjustment of said recording mechanism to record the digits from zero to nine, the other of said registers having steps thereon adapted to cause the recording of only the digits zero and five, said zero step betioned register to said first register only when a said last mentioned register is advanced to a position corresponding to the digit seven.

' ELMER H. DRE-HER. 

